Vault Data Standard – Tutorial

Chapter 01 – New Standard File

Introduction
Vault, as a default, does not create files and passively waits to manage files added by CAD or Office applications.
Vault Data Standard adds the workflow to start new documents within Vault before the application first time
opens it. See also VDS Tutorial - Introduction and [Link].

Learning Objectives

- Learn how to configure Vault to enable the New Standard File… workflow
- Learn how to leverage options like Auto-Numbering or enforced user input
- Learn how to auto-select numbering schemes per category
- Learn how to implement input constraints for properties
- Get insights on Vault Data Standard configuration access points, allowing you to adjust or extend this
command to your company’s needs.

Training Files

You must have installed all training files by following the instructions in VDS Tutorial - Introduction and
[Link].
This chapter requires access to these files in Vault:

VDS configuration files added or changed in this chapter’s exercises can be found in .\Training Files 2023\VDS
Configuration Files\Chapter 01 – finished\.

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WorkflowNavigate in Vault to the target folder (…Chapter 01) , where a new file-record should create. Select the
command New Standard File… from Toolbar or Context Menu.

Select and enter the following or your personal data

Clicking Ok creates a file based on the selected document type and template.

The new document is a blank copy of the selected template but got new property values; continue using double-
click or right-click and open to edit the new file in the respective application (check out yes).
Close/check in the file then.

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Exercise 1 - Configure VDS Document Types and Templates
The New Standard File … command requires file-templates managed in Vault. Companies may have many
template files or even specific ones for different departments and persona. VDS builds folder structures to group
templates; this structure is called Document Type. Selecting a Document Type fills the pull-down list Template
automatically by listing the files residing in the folder, respectively.
The default hierarchy of Document Type and its templates is configured like this:

VDS expects the folders .\Templates\AutoCAD, .\Inventor, and .\Office being available in Vault. You imported all
template-folders along with the training files in VDS Tutorial - Introduction and [Link]. The pull-down
list Document Type does not list the native folder names and uses display names instead.
Adding a new document type, e.g., Engineering Calculation requires two steps.

Step 1 – Create a new folder

Create a new folder of name Calculations in $/Templates/; this step is completed already, as we imported the
folder alongside all training files.

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Step 2 – Register the new folder as Document Type in the Vault Data Standard Configuration.

To do this, copy the file [Link] (from C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Vault

<version>\Extensions\DataStandard\Vault\Configuration) to the customization path
(C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Vault <version>\Extensions\DataStandard\[Link]\Configuration )

1. Edit the new (copied) [Link] using the XML Editor of your choice as shown

2. Copy and paste the node and adjust the values of DocName and Path:

Then copy the file Default.ps1 from

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Vault <version>\Extensions\DataStandard\Vault\addinVault)

to the customization path

C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\Vault <version>\Extensions\DataStandard\[Link]\addinVault)
Edit the copied file and change the path within the function GetTemplateFolders from
$xmlpath = "$env:programdata\Autodesk\Vault <version>\Extensions\DataStandard\Vault\Configuration\[Link]"

to
$xmlpath = "$env:programdata\Autodesk\Vault <version>\Extensions\DataStandard\[Link]\Configuration\[Link]"

Save and close both files

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Navigate in Vault to the target folder (…Chapter 01), repeat the New Standard File … command

and select the new Document Type and template file.

Exercise 2 – Enable Numbering

Our Vault VDS Tutorial has a pre-configured numbering scheme, Sequential. Activate it in the
Vault Settings> Behaviors>Numbering>Define;
as we add more numbering schemes later, also set this scheme to Default:

Now, as a user selects this numbering scheme Sequential in the New Standard File dialog, the field File Name
automatically hides and the OK button enables:

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Exercise 3 – Enable Numbering per Category
Data Standard allows to auto-select a numbering scheme linked to the category selection; to bind numbering
schemes and categories, the names of both need to match.
We create new numbering schemes Engineering and Office, as shown below,
Vault Settings> Behaviors>Numbering>Define:

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Create a new file. VDS activates Engineering category as a default, and the matching name of the new numbering
scheme activates automatically:

Switching the category to Office will also change the numbering scheme:

Note – Switching categories also updates the property list. The dialog dynamically lists all properties linked to a
category. Other Exercises of this tutorial, guide you on how to change the content of this grid, changing the order,
or apply multi-language labels.

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Exercise 4 – Enforce “Title” Property Value
Vault Property Behavior settings may enforce values and other constraints in general or per category. This
exercise applies the restriction override Requires Value to the Title property for Office category files only. Enable
this setting, as shown below (Vault Settings>Behaviors>Properties):

Note - the behavior change; even if the validation of a valid filename is positive, the OK Button remains greyed
until the additional constraint – a non-empty Title field – returns an accurate validation result.

Data Standard prevents the creation of incompliant metadata, while Vault explorer, as a default only marks a
missing value as Compliance Violation.

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Configuration Insights – New Standard File
Creating a new file uses several configuration access points of VDS. The table below lists each workflow step,
configuration files, and functions while referencing other customization tasks.